Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-04-08
rARLY AMERIoAN sIsHoPs.
Objections OF the Colonies TO APP
pointecs from England Dean
swift az Candidate.

Tho conservation Of the first BISHOP
If New York. which took place In Lon
don one hundred years ago day before
Yesterday. SAYS 7he Ne'o FORK Herald
naturally forms one Of the most interest
inc and important anniversaries OF The
Protestant Episcopal church in Ameri
IN. While the story of the growth 81
that church in this country may be
familiar orc to clergymen and Others
who have given special attention to it.
most people will mildly wonder why
so long Il time elapsed between the
sattlement of the American colonies by
EnoIishmen aud the conservation oil
their first bishop. II is not strange
that puritan New England should have
been AN unpromsng soil into which
TO transplant bishop Of the Establish
ed Church of England, but this objcc-
ton did not apply to New York, Dele
wore Viroinia. or the Carolinas, while
the tolerance shown by the Quakcrs in
Pennsylvania left an equally open field
in that colony. Yet the first American
bishop consecrated was II Connecticut
man. and he presided over his Connec-
ticut diocese for more than two years
before the other colonies had bishops
supplied to them
As far back as 1883 Archbishop Laud,
having previously sent the Rev. Will
liam Mored to Plymouth settlement to
supcrlntend ecclesiastical affairs in New
England, set on foot scheme for send
ing bishops TO the colonies The Scot
fish rebellion put n qniotus to this
scheme, the church being in too much
danger ut home to do much to extend
its influence abroad Shortly after the
restoration an attempt was made to
send bishop to Virginia Rev. Alex
ander Murray, who had been the king S
companion in exile, was made a bishop,
and II patent was made OUTPUT not
fully executed-constituting him bishop
of Virginia with general charge over
the other colonies. This unexecuted
patent was long preserved in London,
but has since been lost. There is reas-
on to bel eve that an attempt to send n
bishop to Massachusetts had nearly sue
cceded ten years before Murray's NOM
ination. When Lord Clarenden's min
istry went out of office Murray's hope
| nj prafarmnpt wac Oonp
In 1909 Dean Swift, who was coquet-
ting with politics for what he could
make. cast his eye upon Virginia us an
eligible site for diocese. His friend
Col. Hunter, having after various vlcis-
itudes, become governor OF New York.
wrote to Swift as follows: II have pur-
chased seat for bishop. =.
You once upon day gave me hope
of seeing you there. 1t would be no
small relief to me to have SO good a
friend to complain to-" Who can tell
what might have followed the appoint
ment of the brilliant but erratic dean as
first bishop of American 1t is fair to
!
have been the hopes and plans of Swift
and his friends in this matter, there
does not appear to have been any in
tention at court to give him the APP
pointmcnt.
During oil these years, while there
was II steady demand on the part of
| nh, Al
appointment of n bishop. the general
sentiment was opposed, not only to the
sending a stranger in that capacity,
but even to the selection of an Amer
lean for the place. Thus, when the
clergy OF Maryland chose Rev. Mr..
Colebatch to 60 to England to be conse-
Grated writ of ne eGeat was obtained
from the general court. and as he was
prevented from going to be consecra.
ted the nomination came to nauoht.
There was Il widespread fear that n
bishop would Cypress the clergy and
Interfere in the private affairs of the
laity and so strong was this feeling that
nj the convention of 1910, held at Nor
walk, Conn, a committee was instruct
ed to gather and report accounts of OPP
preston by the episcopacy in England
and elsewhere. The supposed inten-
ton OF the crown to force bishop
upon the church in America without
regard to the wishes of the people was
|
prolific cause of controversy and strife
for many years. and some of the tracts
issued were rather amusing than con-
vlnclng One was illustrated by cut
showing ship conta ming q bishop be-
ing pushed off from shore by people
with poles, while the frightened bishop
ana his friends were praying earnestly
Tor deliverance from such inhosptable
| hosts.
1t is hard at this day to comprehend
the objections and fears raised bv the
! proposition to consecrate bishops for
America, 1t WAS not confined to dis
senters; indeed, toward the last the bit
terest opposition was almost wholly
within the Episcopal church itself.
Sui the movement gained strength,
and after the close of the war of indie
pendence there was more determined
effort made. Curiously, the first bishon
consecrated came from Connecticut.
the land of steady habits, where the
| people are supposed 10 have ont mn,